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I practice as a distance learner with the Awakened Heart Sangha lead by Lama Shenpen in Wales. I have taken a course offered by the sangha called Discovering the Heart of Buddhism and completed that course. I just got started in the next course Trusting the Heart of Buddhism when I decided to pay more attention to meditation and learn about that and see what I am doing in meditation and think a little more about that. The meditation we do is called Formless Meditation but does not refer to attaining the formless realm of the Jhanas which everyone seems to jump to that conclusion online when I mention "formless meditation"... It is in the tradition of Milarepa in Tibetan Buddhism. My teacher has instruction in the Mahamudra but we are a Mahayana sangha just she has that perspective of having been taught in the Mahamudra. But the formless meditation is not a way to achieve Jhana rather it is basically resting in the heart nature as it is.

I practice Samatha and Metta though my practice may be a little different from conventional forms. I'm very much into the resting in awareness training of Ajahn Sumedho so in Samatha I use the breath as anchor and try to rest in a state of expanded awareness. My metta pracitice is a little different to the way it is taught in the Visuddhimagga, I read Bhikkhu Analayo's compassion and emptiness in early Buddhism where the original teaching was just to radiate metta to the entire universe rather than specific individuals, it transformed my metta practice.

I also studied Shikantaza for a while with Jundo Cohen online at Treeleaf Zendo, it was a very useful practice as it taught me to just meditate with no goals in mind.

After reading the OP I wasn't really sure what I practiced as I don't consciously follow any specific lineage of practice. I developed a basic breath meditation practice and just kind of followed what felt comfortable and natural.

After reading @Jeffrey and @Traveller's posts I think that sort of open awareness meditation is what I am probably doing. I don't slip into jhana or have much concentration to speak of but I feel like the awareness of my mind and body is good.

My teacher is Khenpo Sherab Sangpo who runs the Bodhicitta Sangha out of Minneapolis, MN. I live 250 miles from there, so we have a small "satellite" sangha in my home town lead by a senior student of my teacher. As a group we practice mostly Samatha meditation. We also focus on Vipassana and Tonglen. I don't really label my practice, as I rarely sit down with any sort of goal in mind, but rather just see where my meditation practice takes me. I practice yoga and meditation in the morning to help set the stage for my day, but I work to not separate practice and life too much. I meditate in a way when I go for walks and bike rides, when I'm waiting in line at the red light, when I run, when I write etc. Mindfulness is a form of meditation for me, I guess is what I'm saying. But seated meditation sets the stage for mindfulness throughout the day.

I am in the puberty of young adulthood. I don't have a Sangha near me. I started with the basics when I was in high school. Then I became interested in Pure Land. I never really explored it until the past few months. I view the Path as a highway with lots of detours. I like to take from different Buddhist traditions and different religions. Jedi-ism included...

However Buddhism will always be my home base. (Amida the Mothership?) The Dharma Buddha and Sangha are the ultimate refuge for me.

There is a Unitarian Universalist church in the next town over. They will be starting a Buddhist group next year. I might join then. As for now I'm on my own, learning to make the best of what I have at my disposal.

I have so much going on in my life, that formal sitting meditation feels like something else on my to do list. So...I've switched things up. I set aside 20 minutes every night...whether it may be sitting in the garden...in my bedroom chair with my feet up...or in the window corner next to all my house plants...or just floating aimlessly in the pool....I just gotta be still right now.... And I throw in some guided meditation/relaxation once or twice a week.

I also practice intention setting in the morning at my altar. And...bell ringing a couple times a week, when the kids least expect it, hahaha. Stop. Freeze...until the ring fades out.....

@Vastmind You brought up a good point that I hadn't thought about. My practice changes a lot, depending on what is going on in my life, and even the season. I used to feel...stressed? or maybe just concerned that in the nicer months, my practice wanes. I used to feel like I was straying too far from a formal practice. But I realized it just comes into my day in other ways. Fall and winter are major contemplative times for me, I spend much more time writing and meditating than I do in the May-September months. Because our winter is so long, summer is very busy. My practice changes, but it doesn't ever leave me. I think that's a good thing. Maintaining a strict practice just out of a sense of obligation just doesn't work for me. When it turns into a chore, then it's not helping me anymore, it's just another thing I have to do.

I'm currently practicing yoga and nicheren Buddhism. I'm new so I'm still not quite aware all the types and differences but I open to any teachings really. I read a lot of other books too. Any positive, self improvement type books I usually get into. I'm really just out to find my own truth through a constant search for new literature and shared moments with others.

I found buddhism and became aware that its my path. But i dont know what i practise. I know im drawn to theravada as I've been learning a lot from ajahn brahm so i booked an appt to speak with a monk at a mahamevnawa monestry. Im still very confused on rhe terms etc.

As for meditating. I dont jnow again what i do or practice... i simply sit half lotus and shut my mind of for an hour or two. When i open my eyes i feel like ive awoken but never slept.

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federicaseeker of the clear blue skyIts better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator

I found buddhism and became aware that its my path. But i dont know what i practise.

Me neither. And I've been doing this for quite a long time....

I know im drawn to theravada as I've been learning a lot from ajahn brahm so i booked an appt to speak with a monk at a mahamevnawa monestry. Im still very confused on rhe terms etc.

First of all, I'm drawn to Theravada too, but I do occasionally ad a pinch of Zen, and a teaspoonful of Tibetan, too. I combine them, and bake at gas regulo 4 and what comes out is a pretty neat composite, for this particular fruitcake.
Do what works for you, but mix thoughtfully and appropriately, which is different to 'cherry-picking' (Personal opinions on the definition, vary slightly.)

Secodly, don't fret about terminology. Just because you don't know what something is in Pali, doesn't make you ignorant, or 'Less Buddhist'. It just means you don't have a grasp of Pali terms. So what? In time, repetition will entrench terminology, and the word 'Dukkha' will eventually suffice better for you than the loose and often mangled translations we apply (Suffering, Stress, Un-ease, Infinitely Variable, Up-and-Down, Unsatisfactory). Even Highly-Considered Masters and translators can't all agree on a fixed and acceptable translation, so don't worry. Small steps. You'll get there.

As for meditating. I dont know again what i do or practice... i simply sit half lotus and shut my mind of for an hour or two. When i open my eyes i feel like ive awoken but never slept.

I practice vipassana and metta, loving-kindness meditation. Mostly I've been reading from Theravada website 'access-to-insight', but I have been devouring anything that I can get my hands on... a little from Zen, some from Tibetian... and a few other different flavours. I'm loving researching it all. But my retreat will be Vipassana x

@elcra1go said:
I practice vipassana and metta, loving-kindness meditation. Mostly I've been reading from Theravada website 'access-to-insight', but I have been devouring anything that I can get my hands on... a little from Zen, some from Tibetian... and a few other different flavours. I'm loving researching it all. But my retreat will be Vipassana x

I hope it goes great, Access-To-Insight is a great site! If you ever want some Zen material I would check out Gyobutsuji Zen Monastery or Sanshin Zen Community. Both are in America.

I sometimes do a mini-retreat, of a day or two, where I am just at home but I spend my time meditating, cleaning, doing a little mindful walking, and then I combine that with one or more dharma talks from a meditation retreat available off YouTube. I consciously stop reading news or watching tv or doing other web browsing during these days.

For example I have been revisiting Thich Nhat Hanh's retreat The Art of Suffering which was webcast in 2013 and can still be streamed off YouTube.

As for now I'm on my own, learning to make the best of what I have at my disposal.

I have, have not seen him in a while, a lama/teacher on my street. A monastery within walking distance. Several practice groups around. Centers and bus rides to incredible resources.

Unfortunately I have to meditate with an idiot (that would be me).

Fortunately I only sit with the idiot once a day. Usually when it is quiet, even if the idiot is noisy. Sometimes I sit on the floor without a cushion, mostly with. Lately my eyes open again. My sitting is little more than a formal change of posture. Sometimes with mantra. Often focussed on body based awareness ...https://www.dharmaocean.org/meditation/somatic-meditation/

I don't have any particular labels for what I practice. My journey into Buddhism is only in its infancy. I can say without hesitation that Buddhist thinking resonates strongly with my intuition and the understanding of the mind that I have been working to develop for my entire life. "To understand your mind, sit and observe it."

I couple this "from the inside out" observation with study in many other subjects, including psychology, neuroscience, biology, history, economics, etc. To me, Buddhism is (among other things) a 2500 year old psychology discipline.

I'm currently reading "Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening" which covers some very basic Buddhist concepts. I don't think it's tied to any particular school.

@Kerome said:
I sometimes do a mini-retreat, of a day or two, where I am just at home but I spend my time meditating, cleaning, doing a little mindful walking, and then I combine that with one or more dharma talks from a meditation retreat available off YouTube. I consciously stop reading news or watching tv or doing other web browsing during these days.

For example I have been revisiting Thich Nhat Hanh's retreat The Art of Suffering which was webcast in 2013 and can still be streamed off YouTube.

As for now I'm on my own, learning to make the best of what I have at my disposal.

I have, have not seen him in a while, a lama/teacher on my street. A monastery within walking distance. Several practice groups around. Centers and bus rides to incredible resources.

Unfortunately I have to meditate with an idiot (that would be me).

Fortunately I only sit with the idiot once a day. Usually when it is quiet, even if the idiot is noisy. Sometimes I sit on the floor without a cushion, mostly with. Lately my eyes open again. My sitting is little more than a formal change of posture. Sometimes with mantra. Often focussed on body based awareness ...https://www.dharmaocean.org/meditation/somatic-meditation/

I'll do Zazen, Samatha or Vipassana depending on my situation but I do visualization sometimes via Metta or Heart Rhythm meditation when I need to feel like I'm helping in places I cannot physically reach.

The lines between Samatha and Zazen are fairly blurry sometimes but the difference between their functionality in my practice is that I use Samatha when I'm recharging my battery so-to-speak and Zazen when I want to surf the depths without paying the depths any attention. Both return to the breath and both can lead to an unintentional switch to Vipassana, lol.

I practice the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Because the qualified teacher where I live is a Tibetan monk from the Dalai Lama's monastery. I have had teachings from other traditions of Buddhism .. but we do not have teachers for those traditions who live in our city.
And while in the final analysis we are our own primary teacher, a qualified teacher is extremely important. Especially in our first 30 years of practice.

All traditions bring results. And no tradition fits us like a glove, unless we have succumbed to the "born-again believer" modality (in which case we usually outgrow it within 5 years).

I'll do Zazen, Samatha or Vipassana depending on my situation but I do visualization sometimes via Metta or Heart Rhythm meditation when I need to feel like I'm helping in places I cannot physically reach.

The lines between Samatha and Zazen are fairly blurry sometimes but the difference between their functionality in my practice is that I use Samatha when I'm recharging my battery so-to-speak and Zazen when I want to surf the depths without paying the depths any attention. Both return to the breath and both can lead to an unintentional switch to Vipassana, lol.